Mermaidcore Fashion: The Ocean-Inspired Trend to Try
Cottagecore is out, mermaidcore is in — here's how the ocean-inspired trend is taking over TikTok, red carpets, and summer style.
Forget Cottagecore—This Summer, Fashion Is All About Mermaidcore
Move over, fairytale forests—this season, style is diving deep into mermaidcore fashion, the ethereal trend inspired by the ocean’s mythical sirens. What started as a niche aesthetic has now flooded TikTok, red carpets, and designer runways, blending seashell glamour with iridescent fantasy.
How to Wear the Look
The color story is all shimmering blues, sea greens, and deep purples, the kind of shades that shift depending on the light. Think crochet bikini tops, pleated skirts that move like water, and fabrics with enough shine to look almost wet. Makeup follows the same logic: aqua eyeliner, a pearly highlighter, and glitter placed like water droplets caught mid-splash. Hair-wise, loose beachy waves or soft braids do the heavy lifting, finished off with shell clips or a pearl choker, because no mermaid moment is complete without a little ocean-coded jewelry.
Why It’s Everywhere
A lot of this comes down to timing. Halle Bailey's live-action "The Little Mermaid" and Dua Lipa's mermaid turn in "Barbie" both gave the aesthetic a serious boost. But if you've been paying attention for a while, you'll know mermaidcore isn't actually new; it's just resurfacing. Versace was doing shell-print glamour back in the '90s, and Blumarine ran with an aquatic, Y2K take on the same idea years ago. Even high fashion's caught the wave again recently: Bach Mai sent full mermaid gowns down the runway at New York Fashion Week, and Megan Thee Stallion showed up in a scale-embellished dress that made it clear this trend has real staying power beyond TikTok.
TikTok’s Mermaid Magic
Unsurprisingly, TikTok's beauty side has run wild with it. Creators like Nazlia Yunus (@chvker) and Chazlyn Yvonne have both gone viral for their underwater-coded looks. Yvonne told Teen Vogue that watching Halle Bailey play a Black mermaid helped her lean into her own version of the aesthetic, while Yunus has talked about how a single sea-foam green eyeshadow look ended up pulling her all the way into the trend.
Ready to Make a Splash?
Whether you’re DIYing with thrifted finds or investing in a shimmering Bach Mai gown, mermaidcore is all about fantasy, freedom, and fluidity. So grab your glitter, channel your inner Ariel, and dive in—the water’s fine.
